


Fault

by Mikii



Category: Ava's Demon
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Non-Graphic Violence, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 06:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2099268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikii/pseuds/Mikii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s my fault she acts the way she does.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fault

When they’re young, she’s always smiling.

With brown curls of hair pulled into pigtails, and wide open eyes, she approaches Ava and without hesitation asks her to come play and join the other children in a game. Hesitant, Ava only stares at the out-stretched hand, trying her best to ignore the overwhelming and constant presence looming behind her.

It’ll be fine, right?

“…Okay.”

With a hesitant smile in return, she grasps the hand, earning a toothy grin from Maggie who proceeds to pull her along to introduce to everyone, hand firmly grasping her own.

The demon watches the spectacle with an expression of disgust before disappearing, offering the hazel haired girl a brief despite to enjoy her childhood.

She somehow deludes herself into believing she can have a normal childhood, despite everything.

.

.

.

“There~”

Placing the band aid over the cut on her cheek, Maggie leans back, offering a reassuring smile toward the smaller girl, flashing her a sight of the newly placed braces upon her teeth.

“…Thanks, Maggie.” Avoiding her gaze, Ava looks off to the side, anxiously rubbing one of her arms. She no longer wears short sleeves. Can’t, in fact. The demon of her imagination has only grown more hateful over the years, the negative emotions over-spilling to leave physical scars on her arms.

Occasionally, there were moments where her strength at fighting the thing off wavered, and the blade placed into her hands would manage to nick her throat or face, leaving a mark behind that even she couldn’t hide from public eyes. However, in all the times that had happened, Maggie – her one friend left, the only one not scared away – would tend to them.

“You really need to stop being so clumsy, Ava.” Maggie chastises, taking a seat beside her in the grass, stretching her legs out. “One of these days, you’ll seriously hurt yourself, and then what? A plaster won’t be all that’s needed.”

“Yeah…” Giving her quiet reply, Ava keeps her eyes trained on the ground, picking idly at the grass.

Noting her downcast expression, Maggie frowns, eyebrows knitting together in thought. A moment passes before she perks up aburptly, and grabs her nearby satchel to pull something out of it. “Hey, lay on the grass with me.”

“What?... Why?”

“Just do it!”

“But- waah!”

Yanking Ava down by the shoulder much to her surprise, Maggie wraps an arm around her to pull her closer, using her free hand to hold the camera high above them. “Say ‘cheese!’”

The flash goes off a second later, capturing a picture of the both of them huddled together. And when Maggie casts a glance towards her best friend, she notes with satisfaction the small smile placed on her lips and how much happier she seems from a short while ago.

Her own smile softens as she notes how close they are and the fact that from this close proximity can even smell the scented shampoo Ava used. And, although her friend now seems inclined to wearing over-sized sweaters and shirts, Maggie is all too aware of how small she is and the fact that she herself can lift the petite girl up with only a hint of difficulty.

When Ava glances aside to catch her eye with a curious look in her gaze, Maggie blinks, suddenly aware of how warmer her face feels than it was a few moments ago. Her stomach feels fluttery all of a sudden, and her heart is pounding erratically, and she has the strongest urge to wrap her around her best friend and never let her go.

Her eyes widen a fraction when she notes the blush on Ava’s cheeks too.

Before she can wonder on that observation any longer however, Ava glances down, breaking their eye-contact as she pulls away and effectively brings the moment between them to an end. Both girls sit up, neither saying anything. However as Maggie casts a glance towards Ava, whose cheeks are still tinged red, the hazel haired girl shyly pushes a lock of hair behind her ear with a small, embarrassed smile directed at the ground.

Maggie finds she suddenly can’t stop grinning.

“Let’s be best friends always… Okay?”

A brief pause, in which Ava gives her a timid glance from beneathstray locks of hair. After a while, she nods, smile growing bigger.

“Yeah…”

.

.

.

When Ava finally forces the demon out, once again regaining control of her own body, she can only stare down in sheer horror. Fingers coiled tightly around a throat, she all but rips her hands away, hastily crawling backwards until her back hits a wall. Eyes wide, she glances from the motionless body to herself, taking in the dark blood beneath her fingernails before her gaze snaps back to the individuals’ neck and the several bloody scratch marks now adorning it.

“M-Maggie…”

Cruel laughter echoes around her as the demon floats around triumphantly, crowing gallantly about her victory. Tears prickle at the corners of Ava’s eyes as the scene slowly sinks in. No… Nonono, this wasn’t supposed to happen! Maggie had invited her over to her own room, saying she wanted to confess something important… Ava had been so happy and excited! She’d even hoped that… that…

“Urgh…”

Breaking out of her thoughts at the groan, Ava scrambles to rush forward on her hands and knees, eyes quickly taking in her friend’s condition. Distantly, she recalls the feeling of fists colliding violently into the girls frame over and over, Maggie’s voice pleading desperately with her to stop.

_“I thought we were friends, Ava!”_

_“Oh please, as if I’d ever like you! I was just toying with you to pass the time.”_

Green eyes slowly opening, they blink up at the ceiling before slowly moving toward Ava’s face.

“Maggie…” She whispers.

“Ava…” A moment passes before the girls eyes widen and she lurches away. “S-Stay away!”

“Please, Maggie! Just listen to me!” She reaches out an arm. 

**_“GET OUT!”_ **

Slapping her hand away, the dark haired girl glares at her venomously, tears in her eyes and betrayal on her face. All traces of early affection now eradicated to never return.

“Well?” The demon hums coyly into her ear. “You heard her… You’re not wanted here, Ava. Not by anyone.”

Tears finally over-spilling and falling freely, she leaps up, rushing out of the room as everything around her caves in. It’s hard to breathe, and her chest feels so heavy, feet dashing to find somewhere secluded where she can collapse and cry until exhaustion.

Why did she have to be born like this?

.

.

.

“Where am I?” A hoarse voice asks.

“Hospital.” The medic replies without missing a beat, standing at the end of her bed in typical TITAN uniform. The eerie blue eyes stare back at her, giving away nothing to their own thoughts as they speaks from behind the mask. “You were found in your room by a fellow student, hanging from the ceiling.” Reading the clipboard in their hands, they speak in a precise and calculating manner throughout it all. “You’re fortunate you were found when you were, otherwise you would have for all purposes died. We succeeded in resuscitating you however-“

She turns her head on the pillow, staring blankly ahead. “You should have left me.”

The medic glances up at her, falling silent as they watch her for a moment. After a while, they lower the clip board in their hands and replace it at the end of the bed. “A doctor will be in to see you shortly along with your guardian to discuss what happens from here. If you need anything, there is a button on the side on your bed.” With those final words, the medic leaves the room.

Alone, Maggie’s eyes narrow, feeling the tell-tale stinging sensation that warns of impending tears. No. She doesn't want to cry anymore. How many days had she spent locked in her room, wasting tears over someone who clearly didn’t care one bit about her to begin with?

She’d been an idiot. What was it Ava had said whilst beating her, again?...

_“Nobody would ever like a worthless thing like you."_

With a small sigh, she sat up, one hand raising to gently feel her neck. It was tender to the touch and sore from where the rope had left abrasions - the injuries from Ava had yet to even completely heal, leading them to be further aggravated.

It hurt to even speak right now.

“Hm?”

Suddenly realising she wasn’t alone, Maggie glanced aside, eyes falling on the figure seated in one of the chairs at her bedside. It was a wonder she'd yet to notice him really, considering how huge he was - he practically dwarfed the tiny chair, leading Maggie to wonder how the thing hadn’t collapsed in on itself yet. And what was with their appearance? Were those leaves?

As if feeling her eyes upon them, the figure turned their head, mint green eyes meeting with her own as the young man – he was a man, right? – stared evenly back at her. Maggie blinked as their gazes locked with one another, silence stretching on between them as neither made a move to speak.

What was with this guy?

Eventually, though mindful of her injured throat, Maggie spoke, voice hoarse and scratchy. “Who... are you?”

A pause. The man studied her face for a moment before finally replying. “Tuls.”

“Tuls…” She repeated, eyes wandering over his frame. He clearly wasn’t human, but if that was the case, then just _what_ was he? Why was he even here? Intent on gaining the answers to those questions, and finding relief in the notion she had something to focus her attention on other than her own emotions, Maggie raised her head.

“I’m Maggie. Short for Magnolia.”

“Hello, Magnolia.”

In spite of everything, her lips twitched upward slightly. 

“We’re going to have a long talk, Tuls.”

“…Alright.”

Needless to say, by the end of that day, Maggie found she’d discovered a different solution to her life. Her relationship with Ava was long since over, and with no other friends or family to fill the void, she may have been alone before… But not anymore.

She’d create her own life - a _better_ one, just for herself. She’d find that one person who'd fill the space in her heart, and like that all the other pieces were bound to fall into place, leading her to a perfect life.

She was sure of it.

 


End file.
